Hydraulic pumping unit



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R. P. DOWNING HYDRAULIC PUMPING UNIT Filed Sept. 4, 1945 @9 I? Down/n9,

Patented Dec. 16, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HYDRAULIC PUMPINGUNIT Roy P. Downing, Tulsa, Okla.

Application September 4, 1945, Serial No. 614,399

10 Claims.

This invention relates to hydraulic pumping means and more particularlyto hydraulic apparatus for pumping oil wells or the like.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide improved means foroperating the walking beam of well pumping apparatus.

Another object is to supply the walking beam with a shiitable weightactuated by a hydraulic pumping means and in which the weight is shiftedfurther from the fulcrum of the walking beam when the sucker rodsascend, and nearer the fulcrum for the descent of the sucker rods. Theoutward movement of the counterbalance weight will neutralize the wellload suspended by a cable from the walking beam.

Another object is to provide means for automatically shifting thecounterweight on the walking beam so that it will aid the pump jack onthe upstroke of the well pump for lifting the load and then shift theweight on the down stroke so that the latter will not retard or hinderthe downward movement.

With the foregoing objects outlined and with other objects in view whichwill appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in thenovel features hereinafter described in detail, illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, and more particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims.

zontal axis, and one end of the walking beam is secured to cable fromwhich the sucker rods string 6 is suspended into the pipe string 1 of awell.

The means for oscillating the walking beam comprises a substantiallyvertical cylinder 8 having its lower end pivotally connected at 9 to thebase for movement about a horizontal axis. A piston I6 reciprocates inthe cylinder and is suspended from a piston rod II, pivotally connectedat I2 to the walking beam for movement about a horizontal axis. Ofcourse, the pivot point I2 is located between the fulcrum 4 and the endI3 of the walking beam remote from the cable-end 5. Hydraulic means areused for the reciprocation of the piston and consist of a rotary pump I4driven by any suitable prime mover I5 and receiving liquid from a tankI6 by way of a pipe I1. The tank may be firmly mounted on the post I.

Liquid forced by the pump I4 is passed to a slide valve structure bymeans of a pipe I8 which dis.- charges into the medial portion of avalve cyline der I9 containing two pistons or abutments 20, 2| arrangedin spaced relation and rigidly connected by a rod 22. Another rod 23 isrigidly secured to and extends upwardly from the cylinder I9 through thewalking beam, and is provided with an upper abutment 24 and a lowerabutment 25, each of which is preferably adjustable lengthwise of therod and secured in position by a screw 26 or the like. For shockabsorbing purposes, a coil spring 21 is preferably arranged between thewalking beam and the abutment 25.

Liquid from the cylinder I9 can flow through a flexible pipe 28, T 29,valve 30 and pipe 3| to the upper portion of the cylinder 8 above thepiston III for forcing the latter downwardly, and liquid from the T 29can flow through a pipe 32 to one end portion of a horizontal cylinder33 secured to the walking beam and forming part of a counterbalanceunit. The latter includes a piston 34 arranged to reciprocate in thecylinder 33 and connected to one end of a rod 35, the other end of whichis connected to a counterweight 36 slidably mounted on the walking beam.The end portion of the cylinder 33 nearest the counterweight isconnected by a flexible pipe 31 to a T 38 through which liquid may flowthrough a pipe 39 into the lower portion of the valve cylinder I9.Another pipe 40 provided with a valve 4| connects the T 38 with thelower portion of the cylinder 8.

Liquid is returned to the tank I6 from the upper and lower portions ofthe valve cylinderby a pipe 42, connected to the upper portion of thevalve cylinder by a branch 43 and to the lower portion by a branch 44.

Valves 30 and M may be of any suitable type, to allow flow in eitherdirection.

Operation At the start of operations, reservoir tank I6 is filled with asuitable liquid which is drawn therefrom through the suction pipe ll ofthe pump I4 and is discharged from the latter through pipe I8 into thecylinder I9 of the four-way valve from which it travels through theflexible pipe 28 to T 29, from which it flows through branch 3I into theupper portion of the cylinder 8, above piston ID and forces the latterdownwardly. At the same time, liquid from T 29 flows through pipe 32into cylinder 33 and thus forces piston 34 and counterweight 36outwardly or away from fulcrum 4, thereby increasing the leverage andcausing additional motive power to move the walking beamcounter-clockwise. While this is going on, liquid from the left end ofcylinder 33 is discharged through pipe 31 to T 38, and liquid in thecylinder 8, below piston I0, is discharged through branch 40 to said T.From the T, the liquid flows through pipe 39, the lower portion ofcylinder l9, branch 44, and pipe 42 back to the reservoir l6.

At a certain predetermined seating of abutment 25, the walking beam actson this abutment in its extreme downward position, thereby causing rod23 to push the pistons 20, 2| downward to the dotted line position toreverse movement of the beam 3 from counter-clockwise to clockwise. Inthis case, the fluid is pumped from reservoir 16 by pump l4, through I8,I9, 39, 38"

and 40 into the lower end portion of cylinder 8 to force the piston lupwardly, and at the same time some of the fluid flows from 38 through3'! into the outer end portion of cylinder 33 to act on the piston 34and move the counterweight inwardly. While this is going on, fluid fromthe cylinder 33 travels through pipe 32 to the T 29 and fluid from thecylinder 8 travels through 3! to said T. Fluid from the T passes through28, I9, 43 and 42 back to the reservoir.

When the end [3 of the walking beam approaches its uppermost position,the beam acts on the abutment 24 to again shift the valve to reverse theprocedure, and of course, the operation is repeated as long as pumpingfrom the well is desired.

The outward movement of the counterbalance weight 36 neutralizes thewell load suspended by cable from beam 3, and the continuedreciprocation of the piston l0 imparts to the beam, movement which pumpsthe oil or the like from the well 1, thereby accomplishing the ultimatepurpose of the invention.

While I have disclosed what I now consider to be a preferred embodimentof the invention in such manner that the same may be readily understoodby those skilled in the art, I am aware that changes may be made in thedetails discosed without departing from the spirit of the invention, asexpressed in the following claims.

What I desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a pumping apparatus of the character described, an oscillatablewalking beam, means for oscillating said beam, a counterweight shiftablealong the beam between its fulcrum and one of its ends, and hydraulicmeans for shifting said weight toward said end of the beam when that endis to move downwardly and away from that end when that end is to moveupwardly.

2. In a pumping apparatus of the character described, an oscillatablewalking beam, hydraulic means for oscillating said beam, a counterweightshiftable along the beam between its fulcrum and one of its ends, andhydraulic means for shifting said weight toward said end of the beamwhen that end is to move downwardly and away from that end when that endis to move upwardly.

3. In a pumping apparatus of the character described, an oscillatablewalking beam, hydraulic means for oscillating said beam, a counterweightmounted on the beam between its fulcrum and one of its ends andshiftable relatively to the beam, and hydraulic means working insynchronism with the first-mentioned hydraulic means for shifting saidweight away from the beam fulcrum when the last-mentioned end of thebeam is to move downwardly and away from that end when that end is tomove upwardly.

4. In a pumping apparatus of the character described, an oscillatablewalking 'beam, a cylinder arranged substantially parallel to the beamand secured thereto between the beam fulcrum and one end of the beam, apiston arranged to reciprocate in the cylinder, a weight shiftablelengthwise of the beam and operatively connected to the piston, meansfor oscillating the beam, and controlled fluid means acting on saidpiston for shifting said weight to the last-mentioned end of the beamwhen that end is to move downwardly and away from that end when that endis to move upwardly.

6. In a pumping apparatus of the character described, an oscillatablewalking beam, a main cylinder, a main piston reciprocating therein, arod connecting the piston to the beam at a point between the fulcrum ofthe latter and one end of the beam, fluid pumping means, valvecontrolled means controlled by movement of the walking beam forintroducing the pump fluid into the main cylinder, means controlled bythe valve controlled means for discharging liquid from the maincylinder, a counterweight shiftable along the walking beam, and fluidoperated means for shifting the counterweight, controlled by said valvecontrolled means.

7. In a pumping apparatus of the character described, an oscillatablewalking beam, a main cylinder arranged at one side of said fulcrum andanchored in position, a piston arranged to reciprocate in said cylinder,a piston rod connecting the piston to the beam for oscillating thelatter, a-fluid reservoir, a valve cylinder, means includ ing a pump forforcing liquid from the reservoir into an intermediate portion of thevalve cylinder, a passageway connecting the upper portion of the valvecylinder to the upper portion of the main cylinder, a passagewayconnecting the lower portion of the valve cylinder to the lower portionof the main cylinder, a pipe leading to the reservoir, branchesconnecting the pipe to the upper and lower portions of the valvecylinder, and a valve in the valve cylinder controlled by the walkingbeam for causing fluid from the pumping means to travel through thevalve cylinder to one end of the main cylinder while fluid from theopposite end of the latter flows through the valve cylinder to thereservoir and vice versa.

8. A pumping apparatus as claimed in claim 7 including a counterweightshiftable along the walking beam, an auxiliary cylinder secured to thewalking beam, a piston in the auxiliary cylinder operatively connectedto the counterweight for shifting the latter, and a passagewayoperatively connecting opposite end portions of the auxiliary cylinderto the upper and lower portions of the valve cylinder.

9. In a pumping apparatus of the character described, an oscillatablewalking beam, means including a substantially vertical hydrauliccylinder hydraulic means including a substantially horizontal cylindermounted on the walking beam for shifting said weight toward said end ofthe beam when that end is to move downwardly and away from that end whenthat end is to move upwardly.

10. In a pumping apparatus of the character described, an oscillatablewalking beam, means for oscillating said beam, a counterweight shiftablealong the beam between its fulcrum and one of its ends, and hydraulicmeans working in synchronism with the first-mentioned means for shiftingsaid weight toward one end of the beam when that end is to move in onedirection and away from that end When that end is to move in theopposite direction.

ROY P. DOWNING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

